The Hindu Business Line : Buddhadeb assures full protection to Tatas

MAYHEM IN ASSEMBLY: A view of the West Bengal Assembly in Kolkata on Thursday. The Trinamool Congress members went on a rampage inside the Assembly and lobby, protesting the arrest of their leader, Ms Mamata Banerjee, at Singur in Hooghly district. - A. Roy Chowdhury

Kolkata , Nov. 30

The West Bengal Government will "do all that needs to be done" to ensure full protection to Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons, and the management and workers of Tata Motors "to stay here and start work" on the proposed car manufacturing plant to be set up at Singur in the State's Hooghly district, the Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, said in his Assembly Chamber on Thursday.

Mr Bhattacharjee made this assurance in the wake of Trinamool Congress leader, Ms Mamata Banerjee's threat to the company of a sustained agitation if it goes ahead with the setting up of the project on what she has alleged is land forcibly acquired from farmers.

"I have assured the Tata management that there will be no trouble in the State... We will be handing over the land required for the Singur project to Tata Motors within the next few days," Mr Bhattacharjee said.

Overwhelming support

"How can Mamata Banerjee stop this project?" the Chief Minister asked. "It has the overwhelming support of the people of the State and consent letters to hand over 932 acres of land [out of 997 acres required for the project] have already been voluntarily provided by the farmers concerned and cheques issued as compensation to them," he said.

It is not the farmers but only a small number of unregistered bargadars [tillers] and some agricultural workers who are opposing the project, but the process of engaging them in alternative employment had already started, Mr Bhattacharjee said.

"I have put in a lot of work to get Tata Motors to revise its decision and set up the project at Singur rather than Uttaranchal as it would lead to huge development of the region here," he pointed out. "This is most definitely a public interest project," he added.

In view of the project site becoming the venue of rallies by different political parties - both opposing and supporting the project - and to ensure that law and order in the region is not affected, the State Government has decided to impose prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC in the area, the Chief Minister said.

"No rally will be allowed by any party in the area for as long as the orders are in force," he added.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
HC extends stay on BSNL's tender

Google, Bharti join hands for search on mobiles

`No licence needed for calling cards'

Manufacturing, services fuel 9.2 pc growth in Q2

LN Mittal, Farallon Cap pick 13.33% in Indiabulls Infra

Ultra mega power plant final contracts by Dec 31

Rising output seen casting pressure on rubber prices

Bengal Govt bans protests at Singur

Buddhadeb assures full protection to Tatas

Banks can invest more in NBFCs

SEBI to install new surveillance software today

Tyche up on ringing cash registers

L&T picks up 9.99 pc in City Union Bank